Reality testing our plans to hike with a newborn baby

realtommcleod · 2025-01-15T18:31:04+0100

Dear friends,

First, thank you for being a trove of insightful knowledge. I've enjoyed lurking and learning a lot these past days.

Second, apologies if this post does not belong in "miscellaneous topics", but I couldn't see an obvious category for it.

Okay, to the post! Me and my wife (young, healthy, spend our vacations hiking) are planning to hike the camino with our baby.

Of course, this will require extensive planning, bags of motivation, and a little bit of luck.

I'm writing to post what I have compiled so far in the way of things we need to consider in planning this trip.

If you are someone with insight on things we aren't thinking about, or should be thinking about differently, I'd be most grateful for your time. I also welcome any additional perspectives you think will be useful to us and to others!

(I should say I wouldn't extend "thinking about differently" to "don't bother doing the camino with your baby". Right now, we're trying to develop a concrete plan to take to our pediatrician, rather than abandoning the idea before we've even started.)

Thank you very much in advance for any wisdom you're able to share. The plan I'm compiling is pasted below. Cheers, and be well!

*******

Trip details:

Pilgrims: Mom, dad, and a two-month old baby. Mom and dad are Spanish speakers.
When: June 2025.

Staying safe:

Discuss plans with pediatrician and adapt as advised.
See how things are going in first two months of baby’s life before confirming.
(i.e. if mom and/or baby aren’t in good health/fit to travel, don’t fly to Europe.)
Do a few smaller day hikes at home during the first two months to test things out.
Have an emergency plan, including knowledge of all clinics/hospitals on the route.
If, at any point, the Camino is just not working out, bail and go do something else.

Routes to consider:

Ingles: shorter, and reports from families who completed it with strollers.
Frances: longer, and reports from families who completed it with baby carriers.

Travel to the start of the trail:

Trains/public transport once we land in France/Spain (depending on selected route).

Carrying baby on the trail:

Most likely a front sling with chest-to-chest connection.
Attention paid to head, neck, hips, and legs for good posture.
Attention paid to protection from sun, wind, and rain.
Pay attention to mom’s chest, if/when carrying, to minimize mastitis risk.
Draw inspiration from nomadic cultures where newborns are carried on the move 24/7.

Albergues:

Private rooms only.
Baby to sleep in travel crib/bassinet.
Parents to inspect for bed bugs before making contact with beds.
(Note: keyword search albergue reviews to see if they’ve had prior issues.)
Consider booking everything in advance, although this does reduce flexibility.

Luggage:

Take advantage of transfer services so we can take a larger bag to access in evenings.

Meals:

Stock up on plenty of snacks for during the day, and feast at breakfast/dinner.
Anticipate later dinners than usual, likely no earlier than 7PM.

Health:

Diapers, cream, bags, and changing pad.
Feeding sterilization supplies.
Baby-specific meds: thermometer, saline drops, insect repellent, fever reducers.

C clearly · 2025-01-15T18:49:07+0100

realtommcleod said:
See how things are going in first two months of baby’s life before confirming.

I would say this is the critical unknown!

SYates · 2025-01-15T18:55:43+0100

My first thought was - OMG NOOO!!! But reading through your post and your willingness to bail out if there is the slightest problem for the baby, plus that you are both Spanish speakers, I changed my mind ;-)
Knowing both Caminos well I would vote for the Ingles, and yes, with full pre-booking to keep your mind off one more thing. The Frances would be far more crowded and the Ingles is equally beautiful. Also, as it is a shorter Camino you would have more time before/after the Camino plus you can plan for shorter stages.
Would love to meet you in Santiago when you arrive here ;-)
BC SY

VNwalking · 2025-01-15T19:11:18+0100

The baby will be your reality-check, not any of us. Maybe you can, maybe not -TBD.

MinaKamina · 2025-01-15T19:25:50+0100

the baby hasn't even been born! and you aren't parents yet! but planning a transatlantic flight for a long walk on a different continent... WHY in the name of mud? the child will be just as happy with a daily round in the park and this will allow you to settle in your role as parents.

J Willhaus · 2025-01-15T19:29:18+0100

Looks like you have a pretty good list. How many days do you want to walk? How long each day? The Camino Frances has the most infrastructure and can allow for shorter distances each day.

natefaith · 2025-01-15T20:11:56+0100

Welcome to the Forum @realtommcleod ! You've thought through a lot of the details, and having private rooms and luggage transfers will make the potential journey smoother for sure.

Having had four kids, all via c-section (long story), something to think about is if the baby happens to come via c-section, it would be really good to plan for a solid 6 weeks, if not 8 weeks, for new mom to take it easy and completely heal. Doing something too intensive too soon, combined with sleep deprivation, would be hard on the body.

For me, I was able to take short walks around the neighborhood 2 to 3 weeks after each baby was born (the first week or 10 days I was still resting, taking care of the incision, and being on painkillers), building up slowly to longer walks. Knowing the Camino now, I'm not sure I would have been "Camino ready" 8 weeks after any of the babies was born, but that could just be me!

The Inglés is very pretty, but also quite hilly in spots. A recovering mom might have it harder; also just something to be aware of.

Of course, you guys might not have to have a c-section at all...but these are some of my thoughts if you're asking for input .

And it's a great idea to bring your plan to the pediatrician. One suggestion also could be to let the OB/GYN know and see what he/she thinks after the baby is born, as far as how mom is healing.

Tincatinker · 2025-01-15T20:14:33+0100

In the last few months before our son was born The Beloved and I agreed that he wouldn’t impact our lifestyle. We’d be back to Morocco that Autumn reasoning that the Berber had babies too and we could always hire an extra mule….

David Tallan · 2025-01-15T20:20:44+0100

realtommcleod said:
Dear friends,

First, thank you for being a trove of insightful knowledge. I've enjoyed lurking and learning a lot these past days.

Second, apologies if this post does not belong in "miscellaneous topics", but I couldn't see an obvious category for it.

Okay, to the post! Me and my wife (young, healthy, spend our vacations hiking) are planning to hike the camino with our baby.

Of course, this will require extensive planning, bags of motivation, and a little bit of luck.

I'm writing to post what I have compiled so far in the way of things we need to consider in planning this trip.

If you are someone with insight on things we aren't thinking about, or should be thinking about differently, I'd be most grateful for your time. I also welcome any additional perspectives you think will be useful to us and to others!

(I should say I wouldn't extend "thinking about differently" to "don't bother doing the camino with your baby". Right now, we're trying to develop a concrete plan to take to our pediatrician, rather than abandoning the idea before we've even started.)

Thank you very much in advance for any wisdom you're able to share. The plan I'm compiling is pasted below. Cheers, and be well!

*******

Trip details:

Pilgrims: Mom, dad, and a two-month old baby. Mom and dad are Spanish speakers.

When: June 2025.

Staying safe:

Discuss plans with pediatrician and adapt as advised.

See how things are going in first two months of baby’s life before confirming.
(i.e. if mom and/or baby aren’t in good health/fit to travel, don’t fly to Europe.)

Do a few smaller day hikes at home during the first two months to test things out.

Have an emergency plan, including knowledge of all clinics/hospitals on the route.

If, at any point, the Camino is just not working out, bail and go do something else.

Routes to consider:

Ingles: shorter, and reports from families who completed it with strollers.

Frances: longer, and reports from families who completed it with baby carriers.

Travel to the start of the trail:

Trains/public transport once we land in France/Spain (depending on selected route).

Carrying baby on the trail:

Most likely a front sling with chest-to-chest connection.

Attention paid to head, neck, hips, and legs for good posture.

Attention paid to protection from sun, wind, and rain.

Pay attention to mom’s chest, if/when carrying, to minimize mastitis risk.

Draw inspiration from nomadic cultures where newborns are carried on the move 24/7.

Albergues:

Private rooms only.

Baby to sleep in travel crib/bassinet.

Parents to inspect for bed bugs before making contact with beds.
(Note: keyword search albergue reviews to see if they’ve had prior issues.)

Consider booking everything in advance, although this does reduce flexibility.

Luggage:

Take advantage of transfer services so we can take a larger bag to access in evenings.

Meals:

Stock up on plenty of snacks for during the day, and feast at breakfast/dinner.

Anticipate later dinners than usual, likely no earlier than 7PM.

Health:

Diapers, cream, bags, and changing pad.

Feeding sterilization supplies.

Baby-specific meds: thermometer, saline drops, insect repellent, fever reducers.

There are lots of nomadic peoples on this Earth who regularly travel with two month old babies (as I see is mentioned in one of your bullet points). Babies are not incapable of travel.

I would try and stay away from booking everything in advance. Flexibility is really your best friend. It is worth it if you occasionally find yourself in a dorm instead of a private room if it enables you to maintain that flexibility (my opinion, of course).

Think about who is going to carry what (and whom, of course) during the day even with the transfer services.

Keep careful track of where pharmacies and supermarkets are (and when they are open on the days you pass through).

If late dinners are a potential issue, consider having your main meal early to mid-afternoon (1:30-3:30) when the Spanish do, and just have something light in the evening.

In addition to the small day hikes in prep, it might make sense to look for a long weekend when you can walk two or three days in a row. There is a big difference between a day hike and consecutive days walking.

realtommcleod · 2025-01-15T21:21:04+0100

J Willhaus said:
Looks like you have a pretty good list. How many days do you want to walk? How long each day? The Camino Frances has the most infrastructure and can allow for shorter distances each day.

Good to know we're off to a good start, albeit with lots of detailed planning to do!

We're very open on "how many days" and "how long each day". We're staggering our parental leave (wife first, then me), overlapping in the middle for around 6 weeks, giving us 42 days to travel to Spain, complete the hike, and return home.

If we opt for the Ingles, we can be far more flexible, since it's shorter and will provide more time to play with. If we opt for the Frances, we'll likely aim for 25km per day to complete it in around 30 walking days, leaving us 12 days for travel to/from Spain plus rest days when we need them.

realtommcleod · 2025-01-15T21:21:46+0100

SYates said:
My first thought was - OMG NOOO!!! But reading through your post and your willingness to bail out if there is the slightest problem for the baby, plus that you are both Spanish speakers, I changed my mind ;-)
Knowing both Caminos well I would vote for the Ingles, and yes, with full pre-booking to keep your mind off one more thing. The Frances would be far more crowded and the Ingles is equally beautiful. Also, as it is a shorter Camino you would have more time before/after the Camino plus you can plan for shorter stages.
Would love to meet you in Santiago when you arrive here ;-)
BC SY

Thank you for the thoughtful reply! Will be in touch as plans unfold to see if we can say "hello"

J Willhaus · 2025-01-15T21:24:21+0100

You can start much closer to Santiago if you want a shorter Camino. The Camino Francis can start anywhere and ma y people start in Sarria.

realtommcleod · 2025-01-15T21:28:24+0100

natefaith said:
Welcome to the Forum @realtommcleod ! You've thought through a lot of the details, and having private rooms and luggage transfers will make the potential journey smoother for sure.

Having had four kids, all via c-section (long story), something to think about is if the baby happens to come via c-section, it would be really good to plan for a solid 6 weeks, if not 8 weeks, for new mom to take it easy and completely heal. Doing something too intensive too soon, combined with sleep deprivation, would be hard on the body.

For me, I was able to take short walks around the neighborhood 2 to 3 weeks after each baby was born (the first week or 10 days I was still resting, taking care of the incision, and being on painkillers), building up slowly to longer walks. Knowing the Camino now, I'm not sure I would have been "Camino ready" 8 weeks after any of the babies was born, but that could just be me!

The Inglés is very pretty, but also quite hilly in spots. A recovering mom might have it harder; also just something to be aware of.

Of course, you guys might not have to have a c-section at all...but these are some of my thoughts if you're asking for input .

And it's a great idea to bring your plan to the pediatrician. One suggestion also could be to let the OB/GYN know and see what he/she thinks after the baby is born, as far as how mom is healing.

Thank you for your thoughtful reply! I've made a note to chat with our midwife at our next appointment. A great addition to speaking with the pediatrician, for sure. Duly noted on the Ingles hills, too.

Really appreciate your insight here. And absolutely agree on the many unknowns that could make this a complete non-starter. We really will just have to see how the birth, and the first couple of months, go, before deciding whether we move forward with the idea. Healthy mom and baby take precedence.

For what it's worth, we're planning for a home birth with a midwife her assistant, who come highly recommended from several friends in our city who had successful home births working with them. C-section is not plan A, but could quite easily become plan B if we need to transfer to a hospital. Not at all opposed to whatever is the best thing depending on how the birth is going.

All of that to say, we're having to relish in the uncertainty while planning this one. Thanks again!

realtommcleod · 2025-01-15T21:33:52+0100

David Tallan said:
There are lots of nomadic peoples on this Earth who regularly travel with two month old babies (as I see is mentioned in one of your bullet points). Babies are not incapable of travel.

I would try and stay away from booking everything in advance. Flexibility is really your best friend. It is worth it if you occasionally find yourself in a dorm instead of a private room if it enables you to maintain that flexibility (my opinion, of course).

Think about who is going to carry what (and whom, of course) during the day even with the transfer services.

Keep careful track of where pharmacies and supermarkets are (and when they are open on the days you pass through).

If late dinners are a potential issue, consider having your main meal early to mid-afternoon (1:30-3:30) when the Spanish do, and just have something light in the evening.

In addition to the small day hikes in prep, it might make sense to look for a long weekend when you can walk two or three days in a row. There is a big difference between a day hike and consecutive days walking.

Thank you so much for the thoughtful reply.

In all honesty, the private room idea was as much for the other walkers as us. I can imagine causing a room full of people to miss much-needed sleep doesn't do wonders for forging friendships!

Lots of sage advice here. An early main meal, plus detailed knowledge of pharmacies/supermarkets and opening days/times is a great shout. It has been many moons since we lived in Spain, but we can certainly get back into the swing of not expecting anything we want, any day, any time.

Will also speak with my wife about a multiday here before we head, too. Thank you very much!

trecile · 2025-01-15T22:53:52+0100

realtommcleod said:
If we opt for the Frances, we'll likely aim for 25km per day to complete it in around 30 walking days

As @J Willhaus said, you can start any Camino at any point along the way to make it fit your schedule. 25 km per day might be a bit ambitious with a baby.

truenorthpilgrm · 2025-01-15T23:28:49+0100

MinaKamina said:
the baby hasn't even been born! and you aren't parents yet! but planning a transatlantic flight for a long walk on a different continent... WHY in the name of mud? the child will be just as happy with a daily round in the park and this will allow you to settle in your role as parents.

This is an overreaction. OP sounds like they've thought about this extensively and are asking the forum re input on the trip, not IF they should go. Trust they've got it handled.

Like @David Tallan stated above, plenty of nomadic cultures travel with babies.

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Reality testing our plans to hike with a newborn baby

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